The 40th Long Beach Grand Prix is set for Sunday, and in tribute to the special anniversary the Long Beach Register is publishing a 10-part chronological series highlighting the most memorable or exciting moments in the race’s history.

Part eight: The 2002 race, when Michael Andretti used savvy pit strategy to win his second LBGP after starting far back in the field.

Michael Andretti has won the Long Beach Grand Prix twice. The first time was in 1986, when he waged a terrific war with Al Unser Jr., Tom Sneva and Geoff Brabham, winning by a scant .38 second.

The second was 16 years later, and that one was less a war than a well-considered game of pit chess.

Andretti’s Team Motorola Honda was roaring around the track during qualifying the day before the race when Andretti had a one-car crash that left his car in need of repair and dropping him to the 15th spot in the 20-car field.

“I hit the wall Saturday and felt I had let everyone down because we felt we had a good car,” Andretti said.

Repairs were made and Andretti and crew felt confident, but they also believed they would need a strategy to win this race from so far back.

“When you're starting in the back, you have nothing to lose,” he said. “It was definitely a gamble, but we felt we had a good race car. If we don't take a gamble, we start 15th and probably finish 15th.”

Andretti chose not to go to the pits with the leaders around lap 32, allowing him to seize the lead. He went to the pits on lap 48, and re-entered the race 14th — but knowing the cars ahead of him would need to pit again sooner.

When they went on lap 61, he regained the lead and had a 30-second edge. Two laps later, a yellow flag came out after a spun car and Andretti sped to the pits to get a splash of fuel while the leaders somewhat dallied up front.

Andretti was in and out of the pits inside of 10 seconds. He lost the lead for all of one lap, regained it in a blink and then drove like a maniac the next seven laps, extending his lead with each pass.

“For four laps there, I felt I had to put some space between me and (the pack),” he said.

“But midway through the race, I felt we had a chance. The car got better the longer it was out there, and if we could get in and out clean, I thought I could beat them out.”

Vasser cut Andretti’s lead with each lap, from 2.8 down to the final margin on .466. The crowd reaction underscored its awareness — it had seen guile beat speed on a day when a race was won in the pits.

“I drove as hard as I could,” Andretti said. “This is big because this place is so special.”

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